Today's Readings -- 11 April 2011

I hope this will be a good Monday for all of us. Dear Wife is asleep beside me, there is a cat leaning against my foot as he grooms himself in the dark, and I am wide awake unable to sleep. It's been a wild ride lately, as it has been for much of the last seven years. Wife has been ill, finances have been tight, and we just don't seem to be able to see any light. It could be worse, Lord knows things have BEEN worse for us at times, but it ain't ideal, not by any means. I've been praying for some God-sized interventions on our behalf and on behalf of some people and situations we know of, and I believe that He is the only answer to any and all of these situations.

The Old Testament reading for today is from 1st Samuel, chapters 7, 8, and 9.

I Samuel 7

1	And the men of Kirjathjearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.
2	And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.
3	And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.
4	Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.
5	And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD.
6	And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
7	And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.
8	And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
9	And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD: and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD heard him.
10	And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.
11	And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Bethcar.
12	Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.
13	So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.
14	And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.
15	And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
16	And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and judged Israel in all those places.
17	And his return was to Ramah; for there was his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

I Samuel 8

1	And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.
2	Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.
3	And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.
4	Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,
5	And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
6	But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.
7	And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.
8	According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9	Now therefore hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10	And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people that asked of him a king.
11	And he said, This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.
12	And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots.
13	And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers.
14	And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.
15	And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants.
16	And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.
17	He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.
18	And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.
19	Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us;
20	That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.
21	And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the LORD.
22	And the LORD said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, Go ye every man unto his city.

I Samuel 9

1	Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish, the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.
2	And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.
3	And the asses of Kish Saul's father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.
4	And he passed through mount Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not: then they passed through the land of Shalim, and there they were not: and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.
5	And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.
6	And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure he can show us our way that we should go.
7	Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?
8	And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.
9	(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
10	Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where the man of God was.
11	And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, Is the seer here?
12	And they answered them, and said, He is; behold, he is before you: make haste now, for he came to day to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people to day in the high place:
13	As soon as ye be come into the city, ye shall straightway find him, before he go up to the high place to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that be bidden. Now therefore get you up; for about this time ye shall find him.
14	And they went up into the city: and when they were come into the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the high place.
15	Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
16	To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
17	And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.
18	Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is.
19	And Samuel answered Saul, and said, I am the seer: go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.
20	And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them; for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee, and on all thy father's house?
21	And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?
22	And Samuel took Saul and his servant, and brought them into the parlor, and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden, which were about thirty persons.
23	And Samuel said unto the cook, Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, Set it by thee.
24	And the cook took up the shoulder, and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, Behold that which is left! set it before thee, and eat: for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, I have invited the people. So Saul did eat with Samuel that day.
25	And when they were come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.
26	And they arose early: and it came to pass about the spring of the day, that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, Up, that I may send thee away. And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.
27	And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, Bid the servant pass on before us, (and he passed on), but stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God.

This evening, verses 1-21 in chapter 13 of the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 13:1-21

1	There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
2	And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?
3	I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
4	Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
5	I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6	He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7	Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8	And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9	And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
10	And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.
11	And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
12	And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
13	And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14	And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
15	The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?
16	And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?
17	And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
18	Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
19	It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.
20	And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
21	It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Today's Readings -- 10 April 2011

Sunday morning around dawn.
Will be trying to get this back on track. Dear Wife's health problems, the awful work schedule I am stuck in, and our 'tight' financial situation, have been working to keep us otherwise occupied. Regrets and all that.

Anyway, ......

This morning's reading is chapters 4, 5, and 6 of 1st Samuel.

I Samuel 4 Back to Top

1	And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched beside Ebenezer: and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.
2	And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.
3	And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
4	So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5	And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.
6	And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD was come into the camp.
7	And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God is come into the camp. And they said, Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.
8	Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.
9	Be strong and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight.
10	And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.
11	And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.
12	And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
13	And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.
14	And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.
15	Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.
16	And the man said unto Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?
17	And the messenger answered and said, Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.
18	And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.
19	And his daughter in law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her.
20	And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.
21	And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
22	And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

I Samuel 5

1	And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.
2	When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon.
3	And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.
4	And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.
5	Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.
6	But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.
7	And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.
8	They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.
9	And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts.
10	Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.
11	So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
12	And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

I Samuel 6

1	And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.
2	And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? tell us wherewith we shall send it to his place.
3	And they said, If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering: then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you.
4	Then said they, What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him? They answered, Five golden emerods, and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines: for one plague was on you all, and on your lords.
5	Wherefore ye shall make images of your emerods, and images of your mice that mar the land; and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel: peradventure he will lighten his hand from off you, and from off your gods, and from off your land.
6	Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?
7	Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milch kine, on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the kine to the cart, and bring their calves home from them:
8	And take the ark of the LORD, and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.
9	And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us.
10	And the men did so; and took two milch kine, and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home:
11	And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their emerods.
12	And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.
13	And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley: and they lifted up their eyes, and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.
14	And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there, where there was a great stone: and they clave the wood of the cart, and offered the kine a burnt offering unto the LORD.
15	And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD, and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone: and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.
16	And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.
17	And these are the golden emerods which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD; for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Askelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;
18	And the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fenced cities, and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel, whereon they set down the ark of the LORD: which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.
19	And he smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD, even he smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men: and the people lamented, because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.
20	And the men of Bethshemesh said, Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? and to whom shall he go up from us?
21	And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, The Philistines have brought again the ark of the LORD; come ye down, and fetch it up to you.

This evening, verses 35-59 of Luke 12.

Luke 12:35-59

35	Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36	And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37	Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38	And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39	And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40	Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
41	Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?
42	And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?
43	Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
44	Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.
45	But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46	The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
47	And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48	But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
49	I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?
50	But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!
51	Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52	For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53	The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
54	And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it is.
55	And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat; and it cometh to pass.
56	Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth; but how is it that ye do not discern this time?
57	Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?
58	When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.
59	I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.